Article excerpt

FROM the romps of Teddy's children in the White House to FDR's
extraordinary four-term hold on the presidency, the Roosevelts left
indelible marks on American history. A pair of new books look again
at this preeminent political family, choosing different angles of
approach. One adheres to a specific time frame; the other attempts
to sweep over nearly a century of Roosevelt history. Both are
engaging, readable volumes.

Doris Kearns Goodwin, a historian known for previous work on
Lyndon Johnson and on the Kennedys, examines the years just before
and during World War II when Franklin Delano Roosevelt reached the
pinnacle of his power. At the same time, Eleanor, who had
diligently carved out a public persona of her own, sought new
outlets for her energies as the domestic issues that had seized her
attention receded before the onrush of battle.

Despite its tight focus, "No Ordinary Time: Franklin and
Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II" leaves a
kaleidoscopic impression, thanks to Goodwin's extraordinary grasp
of issues and people. Major themes, like FDR's struggle to push his
isolationist nation toward a war even before a formal declaration
of hostilities, shift into vivid patterns of subplots. These range
from Eleanor's passion for civil rights, to sketches of Roosevelt
intimates like Harry Hopkins, Missy LeHand, or Lorena Hickok.

The central relationship between the wartime president and his
irrepressible wife drives the book. In contrast to Peter Collier's
book, "The Roosevelts: An American Saga," which emphasizes the
bitterness and alienation in Eleanor's relationship with FDR,
Goodwin portrays a close and respectful partnership - though one
strained by Franklin's earlier marital infidelity and Eleanor's
independence.

While Eleanor's moral crusades could nettle FDR, who had little
patience for them as war neared, her services could be
indispensable - such as the unifying speech she delivered as
Franklin's surrogate at the 1940 Democratic nominating convention,
which chose FDR by acclaim despite deep reservations about breaking
the two-term tradition.

When war came, Eleanor still could exert influence on occasion,
as in the fights to break down, at least partially, the barriers
preventing blacks from serving in the Navy or getting access to
housing for defense workers. But when it came to the most blatant
act of discrimination during the war years - the forced internment
of thousands of Japanese-Americans - Eleanor could only register
her moral shock. …